Aaron Dinin

Aaron Dinin serves as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University, teaching in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) program. His role uniquely bridges academic theory and practical entrepreneurship, drawing from over a decade of experience as a tech entrepreneur and software developer, including founding three companies and co-founding the venture-backed RocketBolt sales technology firm in 2013.

Dinin holds a PhD in English from the University of Maryland, College Park, where his dissertation Hacking Literature: Reading Analog Texts in a Digital Age explored parallels between software development and literary textual production as cultural information systems. He also earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University (Trinity College, 2005), during which he authored The Krzyzewskiville Tales about Duke Basketball's tenting tradition.

His research and teaching focus on the intersection of digital humanities and early-stage entrepreneurship, emphasizing practical strategies for product development, customer acquisition, social/affiliate marketing, fundraising, and monetization. Dinin's perspective is shaped by his dual expertise in literary scholarship and hands-on startup experience, treating software development and textual production as parallel cultural technologies.

Dinin's professional recognition includes:

• Microsoft Fellow (2012)

While specific student advisees aren't documented in the source material, Dinin's extensive real-world experience directly informs his mentorship in Duke's I&E program. His participation in top-tier accelerators (DreamIt Ventures, The Startup Factory) and venture-backed company founding demonstrate applied entrepreneurship beyond traditional academic grants.

Though no dedicated research labs are mentioned, Dinin's work engages with the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem through technology accelerators and his active role in Durham's startup community, connecting academic theory with commercial implementation.